Books on Books on Books

One of my resolutions that I am carrying over from last year is to read more. Last year, I challenged myself to read at least one book a month, I didn’t quite make it but I did pretty well and I certainly read much more than I have in the past several years.

Here’s what I read and how I felt about it:

1) And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini | LOVED this book! I mean seriously such a wonderfully written and engaging read. I almost couldn’t put it down!

2) I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai | Meh, it was okay. I totally love her story and am so proud she won the Nobel Peace Prize but I thought the writing felt a bit forced and it didn’t flow very well.

3) A Man Named Dave by Dave Pelzer | Also, meh. I mean this guy’s story is amazing and I really wanted to know how his life turned out after reading about his childhood in A Child Called It. But this book felt forced and kind of like a promotional tool.

4) Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat | So excellent! I love Edwidge Danticat’s writing so I knew it wouldn’t disappoint and it surely didn’t!

5) Salvation: Black People and Love by bell hooks | This book may have changed my life, that’s how dynamic it was. I love when books make me shift my thinking in a fundamental way and this book totally delivered!

6) I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou | Such a wonderful read, I felt like I really was getting to know Maya in a personal way as I was reading it.

7) Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan | Unexpectedly wonderful! This book was recommended to me by a friend and I had no idea what to expect and it was great. Such a fun story and really easy to get into. I listened to it on tape and the narrator was amazing which made me love it even more!

8) Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |I liked this book but I didn’t love it. Maybe it’s because it was so hyped up before I read it and maybe it’s because the narrator wasn’t the best (again, I listened to this one via audio). I certainly identified with many things in the books but I don’t think it lived up to the hype.

9) Love In My Language by Alex Elle | I read this one on vacation and it was perfect for that. A light yet great read, it’s a book of poems and I felt like many pieces were speaking directly to me. Also, love seeing young Black women doing the damn thang.

I’d say 9/12 is pretty good! I don’t have specific books that I want to read this year ( I have an ongoing list that I keep), but I fell off of the reading train near the end of the year and I am itching to pick it back up so I can keep up this reading trend!